Spring-wheel.



E. E. HARRIS.' SPRING WHEEL. APPLIOATIQN FILED MAY 25, 1919.

i Patented Apr.-18,l 1911.

a- SHEETS-sum 1.

E. E. HARRIS. SPRING WHEEL. A'PPLIoA-TION FILED nu 25, 191.0.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

2 SHEETS-Samia.

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Eni/LER E. HARRIS, or MEMPHIS, rnnniissniif.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnd Api'. 1S, 1911i.

Application filed. May 25, 1910. Serial No. 563,323.

To all whom *it may concern:

Be it known that I, Emilia E. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-lVheels, of whichthe followingis a speciiication.

The present invention provides a vehicle wheel having a yieldable treadof novel forin, which is designed to compensate for shock and vibrationand add materially to the comfort of the person riding in avehiclemounted upon wheels embodying the invention, the rim of the wheelbeing of such for.- mation as to compensate for the direct applicationof the load which usually flattens the lower part of the' wheel incontact with the surface.

The invention contemplates a tire of rubber or like elastic material, aiexible seat for said tire'and a plurality of springs supporting saidseat and adapted to yield to take up shock and vibration. n

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will bcnioie particularlyser. forth, illustrated in the accon'ipanying draw.ings,aiid pointed outiii the appended claim. i

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of the application, Figure lis a side view of a vehicle wheel embodying the invention, parts beingbroken away. Fig. 2 i's a side view of part of the riin on a largerscale, portions being broken away to show more clearly the relativearrangementl of the parts. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 ofF ig. 2. Fig. 4' is a transverse section on the line 44; of Fig. 2. Fig.5 is a top plan View of part'of the casing. Fig. (3 is a. top plan viewof part of the chain seat for the tire. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a linkof the chain seat. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line of Fig.7. Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line g/f-g/ of Fig. 7. Fig. 10is a detail view of part of the tire as seen fi'oin the inner or rimside. Fig. 11 is a detail view, snowing more clearly the lock forsecuring the screw whereby a spoke is made fast to the bottom of thecasing.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and indicated in all the views of the drawings; by thesaine reference characters.

The vehicle wheel comprises a hub 1, spokes 2 and a rim, the lattercomprising a casing, a tire, an intermediate chain seat for the tire,and a plurality of springs support-` ing the chain seat.

mately of U-forin and is designed to receive the component parts, suchas the springs, the chain seat and the tire. rlhe casing is formed inysections which are separable to admit of placing the parts iiiposition'and also to admit of the parts being constructed in aneconomical and practicabley manner. The bottom 3 and one side 4; of thecasing are of integral formation, whereas the side 5 is detachable andis retained in placevby means of machine screws oi' fastenings 6, thelatter passing through openings formed in the removable side 5 andentering threaded openings formed in bosses 7 provided at intervals inthe length of the bottom 3 along the edge to. which the side 5 issecured. The

outer portion of the casing flares and the sides are provided atintervals iii their .length with recesses 8 which extend radially andare widened toward their inner ends. Projections 9 are located atintervals in the circumferential length of the casing and are providedupon the outer side thereof and serve to tiX the position of the innerends of the ,springs l0, which are interposed between tlie bottoni ofthe casing and the chain seat. The projections 9 are approximately ofcircular form and 'are notched to provide openings for the clearance ofmoisture or other foreign matter that may find its way into the casingand the projections. The casing secured to thc outer ends of thelspokes2 by means of set screws or like fastenings 1l, which pass throughopenings formed in the bottom' of the casing and enter threaded openingsprovided in inetal caps 12 iittedto the outer ends of the spokes. Toprevent loosening of the screws l1 lock devices 13 are supplied, saidlock devices being of flexible material, suoli as lead and substantiallyof U-form, the middle portion of the lock' device entering the slotformed in the head of the screw and the side members being pressed intooppositely inclined openings formed in the bottoni 3 of the casing.

The chain seat is formed of a series -of links of like formation whichare connected by means of bolts .orother fastenings 14.

"he casing in cross section is approxi-l soV 15 and longitudinal anges16, the latter being olfset near one end to throw the end spaced a Aportions 17 inward ,a

Fig; c. The

distance corresponding to the thickness of the flanges, whereby the endportions of the flanges of adjacent links may overlap, as indicated mostclearly in ends of the flanges 16 are oppositely inclined. A centrallydisposed knuckle 18 is provided at fone end of the links and has anelongated posite end of the link and each of the knuckles has a roundopening 21. The knuckles 20 at one end of the links -are art a distancecorres ending to the lengt of the knuckles 18 at t e op osite ed ofthe-links, so that when the lin s are assembled the knuckles match andreceive the connecting bolts or pins 14. The elongated openings 19formed. in the knuckles admit of the links having a limited play, whichis essential when it is remembered that the lowermost portionof a tirefiati/ens when subjected to'direct application of the load. Projections22 arev formed upon the inner side ofthe links and correspond incoiiientiaicl tion to the projections 9 and are for a like purpose,namely, to fix the position of the springs ,10, the outer ends of whichfit about' the plrojections 22. The shoulders 23 formed at t e outerends of the offset ,portions 17 are inclined in an opposite direction tothe extremities of the terminal portions 17. Ribs 24 are formed upon theinner sides of the iianges 16 a short distance from theeX- tremitiesthereof. The outer faces of the ribs 24 form shoulders, which incline inan oppositedirection to the shoulders 23. The inc ined shoulders 23 and25 and the inclined ends of the'iianges 16 are of such-relativeproportions that when the lowermost portion of the tire is flattenedsaid inclined parts are slightly spaced', thereby preventing a bindingor straining'of the rts whic would result if the said incline parts cametogether before the tire reached themaximum attening incident to thestress of the load coming thereon.' Lugs26 are formed upon the outersides ofthe flanges 16 and enter the recesses 8, therebypreventing anycircumferential movement of the chain seat or tire about the rim ofthewheel. It is to be understood that the lugs 26 have a limited playincident to the flattening of the lower part of the tire when sustainingthe load and provision is had for such play by the widening of therecesses 8 in the manner stated. The elongated openings' 19 also admitof the relative play of the links comprising the chain seat. When thelinks comprising -thc chainseat are coupled the middle portions of theflanges arespaced apart a greater distance than the end portions, whichlatter opening 19, a l pair of knuckles 20 are provided at theopsprings' are ex and the casing space correspond with the overlappedends of the fian es 16, whereas the widened s aces correspon to themiddle portions o the flanges.

Thev tire 27 is outwardly flared and is fitted in the space formedbetween the side flanges of the links comprising the chain seat. Lugs 28are formed at intervals alon the sides of the tire 27 to enter thewidene spaces formed at intervals in the length .of the chain seat,thereby insuri a close connection between the tire and lte chain seat,while at the same time preventing any circumferential movement of theti're in its seat. The tire 27 is 'preferably solid and is formed ofrubber or other elastic material. A binder. 29 may pass through the tireand serve to strengthen the same and lhold it within the chain seat.Bolts or fastenings 30 pass through the side' anges 16 of certain linksand through the tire and assist materially in holding the tire in place.

The springs 10 are of helical form and are interposed between the bottomof the casing and the chain seat and serve to press the latter outwardand to sustain the load. The ansiblc and are retained in fixed positiony the projectionsQand 22. Washers 31, of-leatlier or other material, areinterposed between the ends of 'the springs and chain seat so as toprevent any noise in the .event of the springs having any lost motion.The springs are of lsuch vtension and construction as to support theload.

From the fore oing description, taken in connection with t eaccompanying drawings' the advantages of the lonstruction and o themethod of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in theyart to which the invention app'ertains, and while I have describedy the.principle of operation of the invention, together with the device whichI now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claimappended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is y In aspring wheel for vehicles, a flexible seat for supporting a resilienttire and forining part of the rim and composed of links,

soV

each link embodying a base portion, knuckles `.at opposite ends of thebase portion, side flanges having end portions offset inwardly, and ribsupon the inner sides of the side flanges'near the opposite ends thereof,the

ends of the side flanges being oppositely inclined and the shouldersformed at the outer In testiinon whereof I aix my signature edges of theoffsetportions and the ribs being in presence o two Witnesses.

oppositely inclined to the adjacent inclined ELMER E. HARRIS ends of theflanges, said links When asselnbled having the end portions overlapped,lWitnesses:

4and fastenings connecting the links and pass# H. L. DIsHERooN,

ing through the knuckles thereof. p l P. G. HEDGES,

